1921: Mentor Village purchases first fire truck
1931:  Headlands Volunteer Fire Department is organized
1933: 71 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
1936: 60 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
1937: 57 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
1940: 48 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
12 chicken fatalities
1941: 116 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
2 fire fatalities
1942:  Station#1 on Jackson Street constructed 53 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
1943: 77 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
1 Chicken house fire
1944: 107 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
1 Milk house fire
1 Rabbit pen fire
1945: 54 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
2 Chicken house fires
1946: 94 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 31, Kirtland Hills Village: 4, Painesville: 1
1947: 42 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 21, Mentor on the Lake: 3,
Mentor Headlands: 2, Kirtland Hills Village: 1, Painesville: 1,
Willoughby: 1
1948: 97 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 33, Mentor on the Lake: 1,
Kirtland Township: 1, Kirtland Hills Village: 1
1949: 93 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 27, Mentor on the Lake: 1,
Kirtland Hills Village: 3, Painesville: 1, Willoughby: 1
1950: 82 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 24, Mentor on the Lake: 2,
Kirtland Hills Village: 5, Painesville: 1, Willoughby: 1
1951: 78 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 22
1952: 115 Total runs for Mentor Township Fire Department
Calls to Mentor Village: 36, Kirtland Hills Village: 1
1957: Chief Fred Smith resigned, RJ Jepson elected chief
1961: Chief Hine was reported to state as Headlands and Township chief
1962:  Chief Howells appointed, Station 2: 156 calls
1963: Station 2: 220 calls, Station 1: 288 calls
1964: Station 2: 239 calls, Station 1: 323 calls
1965: 691 total calls
Station #3 and #4 (prefabricated green and white building on
Reynolds Rd.) are built
1966: 852 total calls, Stations 3 & 4 now in service
1967: 940 total calls
1968: 929 total calls October: 24hr coverage begins at Station 3 Station 2
manned 10hrs a day
October: First six full-time hires: Robert Edmisten, Richard Knopf,
Carl Lewis, Gary Lloyd, Ken Myllykoski, Frank Steinfurth
1969: 1,350 total calls
First aerial in-service (Snorkel)
May 14th: Mentor Professional Firefighters Joined the IAFF as local 1845
1970: 1,487 total calls
6 additional career firefighters added
1971: 1,536 total calls
Station #5 open
Station #4 opens on Reynolds Road
The vehicle fleet included: 7 pumpers, 3 ambulances, 1 Aerial, 2 grass
pumpers, 1 rescue truck, and 1 chiefs car
1972:  1,593 total calls
1973: 1,944 total calls
6 EMT’s on department
Bomb and Arson Bureau established
Responsibility for dispatching was assumed from county, contracted to
also handle Concord Twp. dispatching
Bartlett Ward employed as first full time mechanic
Photo lab was placed into operation at Station #3
1974: 2,370 total calls
6 members completed paramedic training
15 structures in the City have fire alarm systems
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 227 : #2 - 491 : #3 - 1161 : #4 - 167 : #5 - 1092
1975: 2,466 total calls
Line of Duty Death: Elmer Dilgren, December 13,1975
27 full-time members
Hydrant program started
Busiest department in Lake County
1976: 2,756 total calls
Stations 2, 3 & 5 have 24hr coverage; Stations 1 & 4 covered 6PM-6AM
24 arrests made for arson fires
3 Babies delivered all girls
The vehicle fleet included: 5 pumpers, 4 ambulances, 1 Aerial, 4 grass
pumpers, and 1 chiefs car
1977: 3,181 total calls
30 full time members
3 fire fatalities
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 720 : #2 - 488 : #3 - 805 : #4 - 509 :
#5 - 659
1978: 3,317 total calls
2 Babies delivered all girls
Lake County Arson Bureau began operation
1979: 3,754 total calls
Switched to 4 digit truck numbering system
2 Babies delivered all girls
38 full time employees
2 inspectors added to Fire Prevention
1980: 3,753 total calls
Station 2, 3, 4, and 5 manned 24 hours
Station 1 manned 6pm to 6am
May 17th Great Lakes Power fire $1,000,000 loss
1981: 2,912 total calls (vehicle lockouts now handled by MPD)
Juvenile fire setters program started
Lake County Arson Bureau discontinued
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 636 : #2 - 396 : #3 - 760 : #4 - 524 :
#5 - 596
1982: 2,872 total calls
June 30th Chief Howells retired
Chief John Preuer appointed August 9
Pre-Planning program started
Paramedic training coordinator started
3rd engine company added to structure response
1983: 2,982 total calls
14 Paramedics on department (full & part time)
39 Full-Time employees
August: Station 2 squad became ALS
January: MABAS instituted by Lake County
1.5 mil fire-rescue levy passed
Master plan adopted
1984: 3,039 total calls
Station 1 covered 24hrs
First 5” hose in service on 1143
1 ¾ “ hose & automatic nozzles field tested
Dormitory added to station #1
Fire Prevention Bureau went from 24 hour shifts to 8 hour shifts
Squad 1112 was placed at station #1
ISO rating reassessed improved from 6 to 3
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 677 : #2 - 388 : #3 - 719 : #4 - 533 :
#5 - 722
Part Time Firefighters Association formed, first in State of Ohio
1985: 3,106 total calls
First fully enclosed cabs, Engine 13 & Engine 33
First full-time training officer, Lt. Steinfurth
Closed circuit inter-station cable TV network installed, first in Ohio
200hr. Fire Training course began
5 inch hose placed on engines 1113 and 1133
Deputy Chief positions created (2), filled by Sedmak and Myllykoski
1986:  3,389 total calls
Air 1 in service at Station 4
PASS alarms purchased
2 MFD personnel became members of the county Haz-Mat team
Lotus 1-2-3 being used on the department’s first computer 95 foot ladder truck replaced 1968 Snorkel
County Haz Mat program started
Full time Public Education Specialist assigned
1987: 3,503 total calls
Explorer program started
Dive Team purchases 14 foot inflatable boat with motor
American Heart Association certifies Station #5 as
a CPR training center
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 876 : #2 - 486 : #3 - 813 : #4 - 673 :
#5 - 715
1988: 3,540 total calls
800MHz radios installed in vehicles
October 5th 9-1-1 telephone emergency number implemented in
Lake County
4 wheel drive grass truck placed in service
September 27th: Dispatch center moved from Station #5
to Police Department
Concord Township terminates dispatch contract
Suburban purchased to act as command vehicle, replaced a car
45 full time members
1989: 3,772 total calls
Captains were re-titled as Battalion Chiefs
One man cots purchased
Two way intercoms for divers purchased
1990: 3,975 total calls
September Station #1 at 6975 Heisley Road opened
Went from ISO class 3 to class 2 rating
1991: 3,962 total calls
First “Live from 5” broadcast
February 24th a 2nd Deputy Chief added (Robert Edminsten)
Kirtland Hills Fire and EMS coverage stopped
ACBC Fire Safety Trailer first used at elementary schools
1992: 3,967 total calls
May 26th vehicle fire at 7448 Mentor Ave. produced a fire fatality
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 1117 : #2 - 707 : #3 - 1740 :
#4 - 938 : #5 - 1492
First fire fataility in 10 years
Step van for mechanics purchased
1993: 4,335 total calls
Integration of part and full time firefighters
Dive team moved from station #5 to station #4
Hazardous Materials team started
CART (Career Area Response Team) recalls began
54 career members
1994: 4,719 total calls
Quartermaster system began
Fire retardant station uniforms first used
Technical rescue trailer purchased
Radio headset installed on all front line engines
Alpha-Numeric pagers first used
14 foot aluminum boat purchased
Dive truck 1147 modified to allow divers to dress while enroute to call
Pacing capabilities available of each squad
Employee Wellness Committee started
Pulse Oximitery available on all squads
Accountibility system started
HIT (Hazardous Intervention Team) started
Explorers began smoke detector instalation program
Safety Committee started
Individual facepiece (for SCBA's) program started
1995: 4,879 total calls
Station #2 at 5025 Corduroy Road opened
Hazardous Materials trailer purchased
Technical Rescue team started
October: Bio-Medical Computer Systems Health and Fitness
Program started
1996: 6,120 total calls
February 6th Last part time Captain retired (Richard Jepson)
Major snow storm produced 505 runs from 11-9 to 11-15
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 1703 : #2 - 889 : #3 - 1854 :
#4 - 1624 : #5 - 2070
1997: 5,348 total calls
The vehicle fleet included 34 vehicles: 8 engines,
9 ambulances, 2 Aerials, 8 utility vehicles, and 9 cars
1998: 5,622 total calls
AED’s placed on front line engines
City wide fire drill was held during fire prevention week
Lake County adopted Mentors Personnel Accountability System
January 23rd: Fire fatality at Lake Overlook Dr. fire
1999: 5,838 total calls
Last part time BC retired (Rollin Scott)
Thermal Imagers (6) purchased from Bullard
2000: 5,689 total calls
3rd Deputy Chief added to administration
2001: 5,859 total calls
Children’s fire safety house opened
June 1st Chief John Preuer retired
June 4th DC Tony Sedmak was appointed acting Chief
2002: 6,166 total calls
Phase 1 (station living area) of Station #5 renovation
and expansion finished
February 25th Chief Richard Harvey appointed
Department Fire Investigation Unit (FIU) was started
Mentor Firefighters' Historical Association organized and began working
on The Mentor Fire Museum
2003: 6,049 total calls
Phase 2 (administration) of Station #5 renovation and
expansion completed
Department archives started by Matt Henk and Jeremy Szydlowski
Local 1845 forms Honor Guard
2004: 5,992 total calls
Dispatch center moved into Fire Department Headquarters
FIU vehicle (1137) placed in service
2005: 6,256 total calls
2006: 6,416 total calls
Special Services unit (1157) and Bariatric Squad (1182)
placed in service
Mentor Firefighters' Historical Association had its first fund raisers:
Golf outing, Southwest Barbeque and Chili booth (IBIM)
December: Billing for EMS services began
2007: 6,424 total calls
City donated 1986 Pierce (1154) to the Mentor Firefighters' Historical
Association for the purpose of it being made into a
mobile safety engine
ISO rating was reassessed and raised from a level 2 to a level 4
Mass Casualty Trailer was placed in service
2008: 6,467 total calls
January 13th: The Mentor Firefighters Historical Association launches
Firehouse software is purchased for compterized reports
Automated recall system is put in place for off duty responses
Hazardous Materials unit #1177 purchased
Run breakdown by station: #1 - 1848 : #2 - 863 : #3 - 1806 :
#4 - 1527 : #5 - 1962
2009: 6,513 total calls
January 1st: Firehouse software started for run reports
Womens Auxilliary group Forms
August 12: FF/PM Matt Henk passes away at the age of
31 from cancer
2010: 6,539 total calls
Station #5 minimum manning dropped from 6 to 4 personnel
Water safety class introduced at Mentor Safety Village during class
visits
2011: 6,964 total calls
Number of Deputy Chiefs dropped from 3 to 2
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